HOW TO ENSURE YOUR HOME WILL BE A HIT ON THE MARKET

DIANA WARR, SALES AND LETTING EXPERT AT SANDERSON WEATHERALL TELLS YOU HOW TO ENSURE YOUR HOME WILL BE A HIT ON THE MARKET

With lighter and hopefully sunnier evenings just around the corner there is not a better time to start thinking about a move. Diana Warr, sales and letting expert at Sanderson Weatherall’s SW homes and apartments office has pulled together a few valuable pointers on how to make sure your home will be a hit with potential buyers or renters!

It’s important to visualise your house objectively and be critical about issues that you may have lived with but really should be attended to. Small issues really can make a huge difference to a potential buyer’s opinion of your property. If you find this difficult you can enlist the help of a friend or alternatively invite a local agent to come and take a look at your property and ask them for honest feedback.

It might sound superficial but adding a vase of flowers or a planter outside your house will add a splash of colour that will undoubtedly help leave a great first impression.

Have a declutter, not only is this therapeutic, it’s also important to remember that potential buyers aren’t afraid to look inside your cupboards and closets. Make sure you are using space efficiently and of course, ensure everywhere is tidy. If you haven’t used something for several years then it is probably time to get rid – if in doubt, throw it out!

You should always try and de personalise your property, you may like your collection of antique teapots, but this can turn some buyers off from even viewing the property. At the same time your property needs to have some personality, this can be achieved by using selective colour feature walls or canvas prints as an inexpensive alternative to add a striking twist to a room. Again if you are not sure you can always ask the professionals. Here at SW homes and apartments we are able to provide you with advice on how to present your property and can work with you to achieve the desired look. We have accredited contractors who can undertake the works no matter how large or small your budget may be.

Remember that your adored furry friends may not hold the same appeal to everyone else as they do to you. Try and remove traces of your pets when the photographer calls round in order to appeal to the widest audience possible.

Ensure that your property is thoroughly cleaned and well presented when your photographer comes to do those all important marketing shots. Ask the photographer if they want you to move anything whilst they are there. They can see how the property is translating onto the screen. Its worth instructing your agent to have professional photos taken as these are relatively inexpensive but will enhance the first impression people have of your properties and even increase the level of offers you receive.

Ask your agent to add a floorplan to your details, again a relatively low expense but can make the difference between someone choosing to view or not!

Remember presentation doesn’t just apply to the inside of the property. It’s probably more important that the outside is up to scratch as you never have a second chance to make that first impression when a potential buyer is walking up to the property.

Selecting an agent is a vital piece of the property puzzle and often consumers can be confused on who best to take their property transaction forward. We would always recommend enlisting a Propertymark Protected Agent – Propertymark promote a higher standard than demanded by law in a bid to regulate the sector, definitely a case of better safe than sorry!

Please feel free to get in touch with our helpful team for any of your property needs, just call uson 0113 221 6019.